1. Field of the Invention
The present invention in general relates to a swimming pool purifier, and in particular relates to a method for installing a swimming pool purifier.
2. Description of Related Art
Sodium hypochlorite is commonly used as a sanitizing agent in swimming pools and like water features to control bacterial growth. Typical pool maintenance requires adding liquid sodium hypochlorite to pool water. Some pool owners, however, use electrolytic cell devices in their pools or in their filtration systems to produce sodium hypochlorite by electrolysis.
Electrolytic cells located outside a swimming pool are commonly integrated either into an existing water filtration system or into a dedicated water circulation system. Examples of electrolytic cells integrated into a filtration system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,923 to Stillman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,534 to Fair et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,246 to Davis et al. An example of an electrolytic cell positioned within a dedicated circulation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,110 to Glore et al.
These prior devices, however, suffer from several drawbacks. Electrolytic cells integrated with a filtration system must operate with the pump running, and, thus, the pump must operate continuously in order to maintain the proper level of chlorine or oligodynamic ions in the pool. Installation of these devices is also expensive, especially for an electrolytic cell which is located within a dedicated circulation line. Moreover, a risk of destroying the integrity of the pool's seal is associated with the installation of a retrofitted dedicated circulation line.
Electrolytic cells used within a pool typically either float on pool water surface or are submerged beneath the pool water surface. Examples of floatation cells are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,617 to Ahuja; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,136 to Dahlgren. Examples of submerged cells are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,540 to Howlett; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,713 to Bindon.
To their detriment, however, none of these devices include a feasible, continual and convenient source of power to drive the electrolytic process within the cell. For instance, devices powered by batteries require constant replacement of the batteries. Where an electrical source is located outside the pool, electrical wires must extend over the pool deck and into the pool. Such wires are unsightly and pose a dangerous obstacle.